Top Ten Tuesday - Blogger/Reader

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is...

February 18: Top Ten Reasons I Love Being A Blogger/Reader...

I will list 5 for blogger and 5 for Reader, equally 10.

Blogging

1. Community

2. Fellowship

3. Sharing my thoughts

4. Finding out about new books

5. Bloghops, fests, & A to Z Challenge

 Reader
1. Being transported to another place
2. Meeting new and interesting characters
3. Falling in love over and over
4. Finding out I like more genres than I thought
5. Knowing every book is different for every reader

Celebrate the Small Things - Valentines Day

Every week some of us like to share the small things that we have accomplished. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

Also, today we are Blog Blitzing VikLit so stop by and blitz the crap out of her!!

1.  I made sure to not forget to get my Valentine's a little something. My husband and I working together (but different depts) and I put together a gift basket for him. Chips, his fave drink, cookies, and candy bars. You know... the healthy stuff.

2.  After two days of my older kids staying home sick and a stomach bug, they made it out of bed and on their way to school. I see lots of make-up homework in their future.

3.  I read 3 books since last Friday. My goal on Goodreads is 50 bks this year... I might have to up that number if I keep slamming them out of the park. I have so many TBRs, I can't stop myself. Plus I get a lot of "reading" done when I'm at work cause I listen to them, and then read an actual book in the evenings at home.

4. The forcast is showing a slight warm-up this coming week so 30some degrees is going to feel like a heat wave!


Hope everyone has an awesome and relaxing weekend!

~ Dani

Top Ten Tuesday - Swoon Worthy, Express Yourself - Book Couples

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is...

Top Ten Books That Will Make You Swoon

 Twilight by Stephenie Meter

Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare

Drought by Pam Bachorz

Chemical Garden series by Lauren DeStafeno

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Splintered by A.G. Howard

House of Night Series by P.C. & Kristin Cast

Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffennegger

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Express Yourself Meme is a way for our community to learn a little more about each other.

This week, Jackie and myself want to know...

Tell us about some book couples you adore.

Ruby and Ford from Drought by Pam Bachorz

Rhine and Lindin from The Chemical Garden series by Lauren DeStefano. (even though technically they never did "hook up" they were still married - thus being a couple)

Darla and Alex from Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Cian and Moira from The Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts

Henry and Claire from Time Travelers Wife Audrey Niffenegger

Have an awesome Monday!

Celebrate the Small Things - Over Winter

Every week some of us like to share the small things that we have accomplished. Thanks Viklit for giving us an outlet!

1. Well, we survived another snow storm. And the kids have missed another 3-days-a-row from school. I'm. Really. Getting. Sick. Of. Winter!

2. I'm slowing making my way through A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness... It finally started to "get good" around chapter 20ish. But I have to say, this book is so boring in parts and very predictable. A historian writing a book makes for a boring read for me. It received some great reviews but it's not my cup of tea. However, it does hold enough of my attention that I might read Shadow of Night. Another book it's "boringness" remind me of is The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I never did finish that one but I will eventually. So much fluff and filler.

3. I work this weekend with Jackie at the flower shop!!

IWSG - Quotes to Inspire You

Thank You to Alex J. Cavanaugh for IWSG. This month Alex's co-hosts are Sheena-Kay Graham, Julie Musil, Jamie Ayres, and Mike Swift.

A short but yet proactive IWSG post.

Maybe some author quotes will inspire some of you!

“Yes. Growing up is highly overrated. Just be an author.” – Neil Gaiman

“If I waited till I felt like writing, I’d never write at all.” – Anne Tyler

“To survive, you must tell stories.” Unberto Eco

“A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.” - Eugene Ionesco

“Writing is like a contact sport, like football. You can get hurt, but you enjoy it.” – Irwin Shaw

“Writers see the world differently. Every voice we hear, every face we see, every hand we touch could become story fabic.” – Buffy Andrews

“If a story is in you, it has got to come out.” – William Faulkner

Top Ten Tuesday - Books that Made Me Tear Up

Today my daughter turns 14!

Top 10 Tuesday is a Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is...

February 4: Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry (or in my case tear up. I have never "cried" over a book)

Drought by Pam Bachorz - Someone who Ruby cares about, gets beaten so badly it tears your heart out.

Mockingjay; Hunger Games #3 by Suzanne Collins - For no other reason than a ton of lovable characters die. It is a war afterall.

Sever; Chemical Garden Series #3 by Lauren DeStefano - The whole time your heart gets pulled back and forth in a love triangle and when you think she has finally made up her mind, he dies. *tear*

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis - A little girl, Lucy, falls ill and when her mother finally comes to visit, the mother is taken away before the child wakes. And when she does wake she recalls she dreamt of her mother holding her and rocking her. It's. So. Sad.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - When Wanda gets to be her own "person".

Grace Lost; Grace #1 by Lauryl M. Lewis - A little girl is used as bait and Un. Save. Able.

Everfound; Skinjacker #3 by Neal Shusterman - Some spirits move on, come back to their bodies, and some stay in Everlost. I loved these characters so much that I shed a few drops for them.

Shadow Kiss; Vampire Academy #3 by Richelle Mead - My beloved Dimitri gets taken and turned. My heart broke.

Feed; Newsflash #1 by Mira Grant - One of the main protags dies. Heart wrenching.

The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell - I've never read a book when the main protag changes in the end. The result is shocking.

Have a great Tuesday!

Express Yourself - February Goals

Express Yourself Meme is a way for our community to learn a little more about each other.

This week, Jackie and myself want to know...

What goals do you have set for yourself this month?

First, I want to read at least 5 books; whether it's audio or actual reading. I have such a huge list of books I want to read this year.

Second, try to get back into writing. At least a little each week. Maybe it will motivate me some.

And lastly, I want to get all of my A to Z Challenge posts framed out. I want a rough draft if it's possible to narrow down what I want to showcase this year.

What plans do you have for yourself this month?

Have a wonderful Monday!